Second chapter. Need I say more?
I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.
Collins opened the apartment door slowly and stepped inside cautiously. He put his briefcase on the floor and shut the door slower than he'd opened it.
"Honey, why're you sneaking in here?" Angel asked curiously.
"I didn't see nothin'!" Collins yelled, startled and still facing the door. "I swear!" Angel raised an eyebrow and turned her boyfriend around to face her. "Angel!" Collins pulled his lover into a deep, loving kiss. The kiss lasted so long that Angel had to pry Collins' arms from around her and his lips off of hers.
"Darling, I love you and all, but I do need to breathe," she told him.
"I'm sorry, Ang," Collins replied. "I just . . . um . . . missed you."
"Uh huh. So, you wanna tell me what you didn't see?"
"What I what?"
"When I asked you why you were sneaking into your own apartment you screamed, 'I didn't see nothin'.' What didn't you see?"
"Uh . . . obviously nothin'. I'm hungry. Do we have any Captain Crunch?" Collins walked hastily into the kitchen with Angel trailing behind.
"Okay, two things," she said as Collins searched the cupboards. "One: you ate all the Captain Crunch. And two: stop avoiding my question."
"Y'know, I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Collins said, completely ignoring Angel. "Night baby." He kissed her on the forehead and started walking toward the bedroom, Angel following close behind just as the rest of the bohemians entered the apartment, unannounced and uninvited.
"Hello, love-bugs," Maureen greeted them.
"Hi and bye guys," Collins replied. "I'm on my way to bed."
"But it's only seven o' clock," Mimi said.
"Yeah," Roger agreed. "And we need to borrow your t.v. Ours managed to break itself." Maureen was already on the floor in front of the t.v. watching a soap opera. "You can't be serious, Maureen."
"You'd like it too if you gave it a chance!" Maureen retorted.
"Bet I wouldn't."
Fifteen Minutes Later
"That guy is so gonna die," Roger predicted, sitting on the floor, his eyes glued to the t.v. screen. Mimi was sitting on his lap, Joanne was sitting next to Maureen, Collins was sitting on the couch with his arm around Angel, and Mark was beside Collins.
"How do you know?" Maureen asked.
"He saw that murder." Collins' attention went from the t.v. to Roger.
"Just because he witnessed a murder doesn't mean he's gonna die," Angel replied.
"But the murderer knows the guy saw him," Roger responded. Collins shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "So if he says anything, he's gonna hunt him down and kill him." Collins began trembling as Roger turned around to face him and Joanne's cell phone rang. "Collins, what do you think?" Collins' breathing became uneven and he began trembling even more.
"Honey, are you okay?" Angel asked worriedly. Before Collins could even attempt to respond, Joanne spoke.
"Guys, turn to the news!" she exclaimed, putting her cell phone back in her pocket. "Hurry up!" Mimi grabbed the remote and did as Joanne said. Two body bags were on the screen.
"Who died?" Angel asked. One of the bags was unzipped and Collins immediately recognized the man inside it.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," he muttered, holding his stomach.
"Sweetie, are you feeling alright?" Angel asked, putting her hand to Collins' forehead. He didn't feel warm to her.
"Joanne, do you know what happened?" Mark asked.
"Two people were killed this afternoon and once the police find the murderer I've been assigned to prepare a case against him," Joanne said, watching as police officers on the t.v. moved the body bags.
"Is that what your phone call was about, Pookie?" Maureen asked.
"Yes and the detectives that are investigating the murders are keeping me informed. The problem is, there are no witnesses."
"Wait a second," Mimi said, squinting at the t.v. "Collins, isn't that the street that you usually walk on to get to and from work?"
"Now I know I'm gonna be sick," Collins said. He got off the couch, ran to the bathroom, and shut the door. Angel followed him and winced at the retching noises he made. When the noises stopped and the toilet flushed, she opened the door slowly, walked inside, and found Collins on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest, trying not to cry.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
"I don't wanna die," Collins barely whispered, hugging his knees. Tears fell from his eyes and Angel wiped them away as his friends soon appeared in the doorway.
"Did he puke?" Maureen asked.
"Maureen!" Joanne said, hitting Maureen in the arm.
"I just wanna know. Jeez."
"Did he?" Roger asked.
"Yeah," Angel answered.
"Is he sick?" Mark asked.
"I don't know, but he said he doesn't wanna die." Angel wiped Collins' fresh tears away.
"What does that mean?" Mimi asked.
"It could mean . . ." Joanne stopped herself in mid-sentence and thought for a moment. "Collins, does the fact that those murders happened on the street you take to work make you sick to your stomach?"
"I . . . I saw him," Collins replied, still barely whispering. "He . . . had a knife."
"Who?" Joanne came closer to Collins. She thought for a moment before speaking again. "The murderer?" Collins hesitated before nodding.
"You actually saw the murderer?" Maureen asked, her eyes wide. Everyone was now looking at Collins. His mind went back to the threat he'd received earlier and he nearly started hyperventilating.
These are my friends, he told himself. They'll help me. All I have to do is tell them.
He told himself that over and over until he calmed himself down as much as could. He then looked up at Maureen.
"I saw the actual murders," he said.
Ooooh! What's gonna happen next? Ooooh! ;)
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